Quebec immigration minister pledges to prioritize health-care workers’ applications

Quebec Minister Responsible Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration Jean-François Roberge responds to Opposition questions over immigrant workers during question period at the legislature in Quebec City, Thursday, February 5, 2026. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

The Quebec government says it has a plan to address issues in the health-care system, which stands to lose thousands of foreign workers due to changes to the immigration system.

During Question Period on Thursday, Quebec Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge pledged that applications by health care workers would be given priority for immigration.

This came as Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) interim leader Marc Tanguay pointed out that 4,000 patient attendants and 1,200 nurses were at risk of having to leave their jobs and the province under the new provisions.

A few weeks ago, Martin Beaumont, CEO of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec, expressed concern about losing workers recruited from abroad.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 5, 2026.